21 Days with 2 Corinthians – Day 11

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 11 – 2 Corinthians 7:1-16

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth. His affection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.[1]

This Christian life is not all a bed of roses. One of the unfortunate deficits of the Church today is its emphasis on only that which brings blessing. We want to joy, but not the sorrow; the victory, but not the battle; and, the testimony, but not the test. We want to be affirmed but not confronted. We want the benefit of a dedicated life, but we do not want to do the work it requires. Paul wrote a letter to the church in Corinth that, apparently, disturbed it greatly. This letter brought about no little anxiety and in fact, the church was wounded by it. Like a committed parent Paul grieved that he had to write the letter, and then worried about how things would turn out after he wrote it. He is then overjoyed to discover that the letter has produced in the church Godly sorrow, which in turn produced true repentance.

What is wrong with the church and its leadership that we have grown so soft. Rather than being concerned for souls we are concerned about how our relationships with members affects our bottom line. We often do not say the things people need to hear because we are afraid they will take offence and stop giving or leave altogether. We are more concerned about what people think than we about about God. Now I am no more suggesting that leaders become callous and coarse as they deal with the cares and concerns of those to whom they minister, than I am suggesting that Paul was insensitive and uncaring. But I am saying that we should subscribe anew to that which is the chief end of humanity, “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Doing so will invariable change the trajectory of our entire ministry.

Dear Lord, forgive me for being weak. Forgive me for confusing love, kindness and meekness with weakness. Forgive me for fearing that saying the things that need to be said will cause people to walk away. Forgive me for counting souls rather than walking in unconditional obedience. Teach me to boldly say the things You would have me to say and to do the things You would have me to do. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 7:1–16.

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21 Days with 2 Corinthians – Day 10

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 10 – 2 Corinthians 6:1-8

And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”—giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.[1]

These verses have generally always been interpreted as referencing the necessity for holiness among God’s people. The emphasis has been on being very discerning about whom one associates especially if they are not true believers. I don’t mean to suggest that this interpretation is wrong, but it certainly is narrow. It would seem that the Apostle Paul is more concerned in this text with to whom the Corinthians listen, “Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide” (v. 11). In our time such a concern is still very prevalent.

We dwell in a time characterized by a multiplicity of voices. These voices carry with them their own authority and credibility. One does not, any longer, automatically look to the church or to the man or woman of God for authoritative answers to their life’s problems. Instead, they have counselors, talk shows, commentators, politicians and the like to whom they can listen and follow. It is admittedly hard to hear the voice of God in the midst of so much noise. One has to choose to shift through the different voices and come out from the ones that are false. This choice is complicated also by the fact that our ears tend to want to subscribe only to that which pleases us, and God’s Word sometimes, maybe many times, chastens us. But, as Paul states, “what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness” (v. 14)? Let us be discerning today so as to hear the right voice and make the right choice.

Dear Father, we confess to listening to and obeying voices other than You. Like so many our ears itch for the things we like to hear. We ashamed of the poor choices we have made when Your Word and way was ever before us. But today our eyes, ear, and hearts are open to You. Speak again Your eternal Word that never changes and we will follow. We ask it in the name of our risen Christ. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 6:1–18.

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21 Days with 2 Corinthians – Day 9

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 9 – 2 Corinthians 5:13-21

For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.[1]

Our relationship with Jesus should make all the difference in the world in every aspect of our lives. It should change how we view ourselves, our circumstances, our past, our future, even those who have harmed us. We should see a fundamental change in our outlook on life because we are new creations. We have been made new through the blood of the Lamb. We no longer view people in the same way we did. Before Christ we allowed our prejudices to control us. We formed unfair opinions about wholes races and cultures, and sometimes genders, because of the offence we received from one or a few. But Christ changed all of that, or at least that is what should have happened.

The truth of the matter is that we often succumb to the temptation to hold onto our former way of reasoning, our former way of looking at our realities, our former way of parsing out our current situations. Pressed against the wall or backed into a corner our tendency is to retreat to what we once depended on in similar situations not realizing that it served only to damage our witness. We are not perfect beings which means, of course, that we will not always get things right. There will be times when we fail and fall but that is not what I mean. I am referring to an attitude that sees no necessity to change a thing about how one navigates through life. I referring to the lives in which no discernable change is evident. If Christ has not made a difference in a person’s life then one must surely question whether that one has truly met Him.

Dear Lord, we confess that we too often revert to our old way of thinking and behaving. We are too impatient and feel we cannot wait upon You, so we take matters into our own hands and make incredible messes out of our lives and the lives of others. We want to walk hand in hand with you, we want to do the right thing in every avenue of our lives but we need your help. So, empower us this day with Your Holy Spirit to do and say the right things. Help us to crucify our flesh so that we will not act according to it. This we ask in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 5:13–21.

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21 Days with 2 Corinthians – Day 8

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 8 – 2 Corinthians 5:1-12

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.[1]

It is usually at memorial services we have heard many of the verses read. They are read and quoted to give us comfort and peace at the passing of loved ones and friends. Our familiarity with them in that context is so great that it is hard to hear them any other way. Clearly, it is appropriate to hear them and read them as we have but in so doing we miss the deeper revelation Paul is seeking to impart. We long for the day when we can be with our Lord in glorified bodies, no longer held hostage by the issues of life that often afflict them. But there is also a strong sense here that Paul is also referring to a life driven by the demands of the flesh versus one driven by our faith in our Lord.

This life has its claims on us but it leaves us naked, vulnerable, and unprotected. Our faith leads us to desire a different, higher and better relationship that brings us into the presence of the Lord. The relationship, being present with the Lord, covers the nakedness of our flesh. As long as we are driven, compelled, motivated by our flesh, our earthly tent, we are exposed, naked and therefore absent from the Lord. Our aim, our ambition, our goal should be to become one with the Lord, not just in “the great bye and bye,” but in the here and now. Yes, there is a day coming when we will be with the Lord for all eternity, and in that day inherit that which has been prepared for us, but there is also an exposure, a nakedness we can leave behind in this life simply by deciding to be absent from it; and in that manner we are pleasing to the Lord. I prefer, like Paul, to be absent from the body to be with the Lord.

Dear Father, we are driven by our flesh in so many ways. We have a desire to walk closer with You but the pull of our flesh is often so overwhelming. Therefore, we are so grateful for Your gift of the Holy Spirit who clothes us in our nakedness and strengthens us in our weaknesses. The guilt over our failures, over our nakedness, is often so pronounced that we find we cannot move forward. Help us, this day, to desire absence from this body prone to sin so that we can be present with You walking in Your highest and best for our lives. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 5:1–12.

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21 Days with 2 Corinthians – Day 7

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 7 – 2 Corinthians 4:8-18

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.[1]

“Momentary, light affliction!” Most would not describe their trials in this manner. In fact, the opposite seems mostly true. Rather than light they seem extremely harsh and rather than momentary they appear endless. Yet the Apostle Paul describes them in this manner, and he could because his resume was full all kinds of trials, trials that should have brought him down except for his attitude. This was the guy who was stoned and left for dead, got up, and instead of fleeing went back into the city that had just stoned him. This is the guy that was beaten within an inch of his life, shipwrecked, falsely accused and imprisoned. He could do it, and did do it because he understood what he did had cosmic consequences, and that the Jesus in him not only qualified him to endure, but gave him incentive to endure.

Consider, if you will, the tremendous sacrifice our Lord made on our behalf. It was a sacrifice no one else would have done, and He did it in order that we might be redeemed. How can we ever view the things we experience in the same manner? They cannot begin to compare with that which He endured for our sakes. That is how Paul can call them light and momentary because when one puts them in context there is no comparison. The good news, however, is that these same momentary, light afflictions have a purpose. They are “producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”

 Dear Lord, we confess to giving our afflictions more of our attention than they deserve. We are often fatalistic behaving as though the end of our world has come. Help us to change our mindset and begin to see them as they are, temporary. Still, You know how painful these momentary afflictions really are. You know full well the depths of betrayal we feel when wronged. You know the panic we experience when confronted with situations that seem hopeless. Give us the strength of Paul so we can, like him, understand what we see is temporal, but what we cannot see eternal. This we ask in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 4:8–18.

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21 Days with 2 Corinthians – Day 6

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 6 – 2 Corinthians 4:1-7

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;[1]

Have we “renounced the hidden things because of shame?” How often have we struggled to get over and past those things that once characterized our lives? How often have we been consumed with guilt because we failed to live up to the faith we espouse? We renounce these “hidden things,” but we have yet to get past them because we are merely “earthen vessels.” The Apostle Paul continues to plead his case to the church in Corinth not denying the reality of his past but also not allowing it to become a reason why his preaching should not be received. These verses reveal that our generation of believers is not the first to hold an individual’s past against them. God uses flawed people like Paul, like you and me. He uses them because they recognize they can do nothing apart from God.

Paul was well aware of his past, and he was accustomed to having to defend himself and the gospel he preached. It is hard to minister at any time but especially under a veil of accusation and suspicion. Paul could have gotten frustrated and angry but instead confronts the attack honestly refuting any allusion to adulterating the Word of God, and then He strikes back saying that if any are unable or unwilling to receive his messages it is because the enemy has blinded their minds so they cannot see. Then comes the finale that we should never forget, he, and we like him, are just vessels of clay. Any good that comes out of us comes from God so that he will ever get the glory and none will come to us.

O heavenly Father, we glory in Your majesty and marvel how You can use earthen vessels like us. We are flawed, cracked pots needing to go back to the potter’s wheel for reconstruction and yet You deign to use us anyway. For give us for taking any glory for ourselves. Forgive us for implying that anything we have accomplished in life is as a result of our skill or intellect. Help us this day to humble ourselves in Your sight so that in all things and in all places You might get the honor, the glory, and the praise. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 4:1–7.

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21 Days with 2 Corinthians – Day 5

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 5 – 2 Corinthians 3:9-18

For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (NASB)[1]

Eugene Peterson, in The Message, calls the ‘ministry of condemnation’ the ‘Government of Death’ or the ‘Government of Condemnation.’ Paul is referring to the Law of Moses that was insufficient to bring life in that it could not bring salvation. It had glory, but that glory has been surpassed Jesus who gives us the ministry of righteousness. There are those who have yet to discover this truth and as a result remain in the old system even though it is increasingly fading away, and they remain in it because a veil covers their face causing their minds to be hardened.

None of this makes much sense to those of us who are Christians and have not had the experience of living under the old system as many Jews today still do, until we recognize that we have, and sometimes still do, have moments when we stubbornly hold onto the old ways of our pasts. One of the greatest tricks of the enemy is to tells us that we cannot change, that we are who we are and will ever be. Our enemy is helped by people who have a tendency to constantly remind us of our past and how little we have changed. But they are not the problem. How we view ourselves and our redemption is the real problem. Christ has set us from from the old system and its ways. We are no longer bound by the things to which we used to subscribe or the things we used to do. While we may not yet be where we desire to be or even who we want to be, we are still in the process of being transformed. Don’t let the ‘accuser of the brethren’ bring false accusation against you today. Unlike Moses, the glory that is on your life does not need to fade but because of the freedom we enjoy in Christ it can grow exponentially day by day.

Gracious God, we are heartily grateful for how You have transformed our lives. When we consider where You found and how You redeemed us we cannot help but glorify Your holy name. Yet we confess our affinity for some of the things from our pasts, those things we enjoyed and gave us some comfort because they were familiar even though they were leading us to death. Help us to walk increasingly in the newness of life that can only be found in You. Keep us from latching on to those things from our pasts like dogs going back to their vomit or pigs that have just been washed wallowing again in the mud. Help us to bask in You glory growing increasingly in us day by day. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 3:9–18.

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21 Days in 2 Corinthians – Day 3

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 3 – 2 Corinthians 2:1-17

But I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again. For if cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful? This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you. But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree—in order not to say too much—to all of you. Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.[1]

There is far too much in these seventeen verses to examine in depth. Let me, therefore, attempt a brief summary of what seems to have happened leading Paul to write as he does in this second chapter. It appears that there was an incident that occurred prior to the drafting of this letter so offensive that Paul wrote at some point a scathing rebuke. The incident seems to have been perpetrated by one person but was so severe that it brought offense to the entire community. Paul writes to encourage the community to do as he has done and to reaffirm their love by forgiving the offender. We have no idea what the nature of the offense might be or who the offender was. We do know that Paul seemingly had to convince the community of the necessity to forgive the offense and the offender.

What is of particular note in these verses is the emphasis Paul puts on the imperative of forgiveness, first of all, so that Satan would not be able to take advantage of them; and, second that their witness would not be tainted because they are “a fragrance of Christ to God.” The enemy of our souls will use any manifested weakness to lead us astray. We can limit his ability by freely forgiving those who have sinned against us. Failing to forgive places us in peril of not being forgiven ourselves, but it also sends a poor signal to the world around us who already seek to bring accusation against us. We never know who may be watching us trying to discern whether what we espouse is real and true. Paul makes our public witness vivid by using words like fragrance and aroma. They are words that point to what others perceive about us without ever having to hear us open our mouths. As we represent Christ today let us make certain that we do not leave ourselves open to attacks of our enemy through our lack of forgiveness. Freely we have been forgiven, now let us freely forgive.

Dear Lord, there is much in our lives you have forgiven. We are grateful that you do not treat us as our sin demands otherwise none of us could stand. We marvel at Your grace and mercy demonstrated to us every day. We, however, often fail to forgive others. We hold grudges. We avoid one another. We talk about one another trying to draw others into our negative attitudes. We are heartily sorry for misrepresenting You by our lack of love. Help us to forgive as freely as You have forgiven us and to love as You love us. This we ask in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 2:1–17.

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21 Days in 2 Corinthians – Day 4

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 4 – 2 Corinthians 3:1-8

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?[1]

When someone has walked among you there is no need for letters of commendation because you have come to know them. This is a revelation of which I was reminded as I eulogized a member I had served for twenty years. The life this sister lived was grand and glorious but I was only privy to it because I knew her. As I spoke to the gathered mourners I reminded them that we were all her legacy because her memory would be eternally indelibly imprinted on our hearts and minds. Such as what happens in any familial relationship. People committed to the relationship get to know each other. Good friends separated by distance find themselves saying things the other would say. Siblings tend to hold certain mannerisms in common. It has even been said that married couples begin to look like one another after so much time spent together.

This is what the Apostle Paul was trying to impart to his readers. They knew him, his life, his witness, his testimony. He had walked among them, ministered to them, instructed them in the things of God. He was not an unknown figure to them. The things, then, that were being said about him could be written off and ignored because they should know that they are not true. One of the things I have discovered about ministry over the years is that people love to find fault. They love to find bad news and are prone to believe it except for those closest to you who know you best. Someone can say something that they know is not true because it is totally out of character of whom they know you to be. It is also true, sadly, that things can be said that those who know you best must admit are more than likely true because of the known flaws in your character. What kind of legacy do you wish to impart? What do you want people to know and say about you? Be very cautious how you walk among those with whom you come in contact for they will be your lasting legacy.

Dear gracious God, our Heavenly Father, we give you grateful praise for the rich legacy you have left to us in holy writ. We thank you for the words of Your servant Paul that reminds us of the importance of how we live and move in our spheres of influence. Enable us today to look introspectively into our very souls analyzing whom we really are. Help us to ask the hard questions of ourselves in order to ascertain what people see when they see and hear us. Then having discovered who we are assist us in making the necessary changes that will sharpen our character and integrity so much so that when people see us and hear us, they will see and hear You dwelling richly in us. This we ask in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 3:1–8.

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21 Days in 2 Corinthians – Day 2

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 2 – 2 Corinthians 1:12-24

For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus. In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing; that is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.[1]

There are times when the Apostle Paul appears to be boastful and proud. He begins these verses referencing his “proud confidence.” But contrary to how it may appear, Paul is not engaging in self-aggrandizement but making a statement about his integrity. This a particularly appropriate word for our generation that tends to thoughtlessly exercise deception. It seems that many are more concerned with what they can get away with than maintaining a consistent witness. One dictionary defines integrity as, “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.” But I like the suggestion of some that like character, integrity is what you do when no one is looking. In the case of these verses it seems that Paul is responding to accusations of deception because he had promised to visit Corinth and was unable. His response is revealing in that He concludes that we are to be like our Savior who is faithful and does not vacillate. His promises are sure. His Word is true. When He speaks, He gives a definitive Word upon which we can count. What is our Word like? What are we like when no one is around? Are we people of integrity or do we seek for ways to ‘get over?’ Today let us seek to be people of integrity.

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess our lack of a consistent witness. We desire to be honest and have strong moral principles, but often bow to what is expedient rather than right and true. We often seek to please people more than we seek to please you. Forgive us for our duplicity and lack of character and integrity. Enable us this day to maintain a consistent witness so that our yes is yes and our no is no. Quicken us to see in the mirror whom we really are so that we are not public successes, but private failures. Help us to follow the example of Jesus and heed the words of Paul so that You will get the honor and the glory. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), 2 Co 1:12–24.

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